Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Seventh Transformers movie but functions as soft reboot with Beast Wars characters included
The brief
Steven Caple Jr. brings actual directorial vision to the Transformers franchise for the first time in years, trading Michael Bay's migraine-inducing chaos for coherent action sequences you can actually follow. Anthony Ramos anchors the human story with genuine charm while the Beast Wars characters translate surprisingly well to live-action, especially Ron Perlman's growling Optimus Primal. The 90s setting feels fresh and the robot designs finally have personality again, though it still drags through familiar beats about ancient artifacts and world-ending threats. Perfect for anyone who loved the original cartoon but gave up on these movies after the second Bay film.
The verdict
If you're a Transformers fan who misses coherent action and actual robot personalities, this is a welcome return to form with genuine directorial vision and nostalgic 90s charm. If you're tired of world-ending MacGuffin plots and overlong runtimes, the familiar beats and 127-minute commitment will test your patience despite the improved execution.
Watch with
- 👥 Friends who grew up with Beast Wars
- 👨👩👧👦 Families with older kids who love robots
- ⚠️ Skip if you're exhausted by franchise filmmaking
Heads up
- Intense robot-on-robot violence throughout (frequent)
- Perilous situations with human characters (moderate)
- Large-scale destruction and explosions (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- Steven Caple Jr.
- Cast
- Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson
Official synopsis
When a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges, Optimus Prime and the Autobots must team
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Both feature heroic teams of transformed beings protecting Earth from threats.
Total runtime: 2h 7m + 1h 40m = 3h 47m
